Hong Kong yesterday disqualified activist Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) from running in district council elections on Nov. 24, in a blow to protesters’ efforts to win greater electoral influence in the territory.
The government said in a statement, without naming any candidates, that support for “self-determination” was inconsistent with Hong Kong’s Basic Law and affirmed its support for the official who made the decision.
“I become the only candidate banned from running in November’s District Council Election,” Wong said in a tweet.
Photo: Reuters
“It proved how Beijing manipulate the election with political censorship and screening,” he wrote.
A former student activist who gained global recognition for his leadership role in the 2014 Occupy protests, Wong has supported Hong Kong’s “self-determination” — a position Hong Kong officials equate with advocating independence.
He was among several activists seeking to take the more traditional political path and convert the street protests into electoral victories in next month’s vote.
Although Wong has played a more peripheral role in the current protests — testifying in Washington for congressional action to support Hong Kong — he was among several prominent activists arrested since the unrest began.
He was released on bail and faces his next court hearing on Friday next week.
Wong “has immense symbolic significance for young people” in Hong Kong and disqualifying him is likely to worsen the ongoing unrest, said Willy Lam (林和立), an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Centre for China Studies.
“The disqualification of Joshua could become another cause celebre for the opposition to rally people and ensure that the confrontation will continue and even be exacerbated,” Lam said. “It’s a very stupid move on the part of the SAR [special administrative region] administration.”
Wong was banned because while he did not associate himself with the Demosisto party in his application, he was a founding member of the group, Radio Television Hong Kong reported, citing a notice from an electoral official.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) said there would be no political solution until the violent protests end.
“For the government to resort to measures that will appease the violent rioters, I don’t think that is the solution,” Lam told reporters. “Until and unless we tackle the violence and put an end to it, it is very difficult to continue the political dialogue we have done.”
‘UPHOLDING PEACE’: Taiwan’s foreign minister thanked the US Congress for using a ‘creative and effective way’ to deter Chinese military aggression toward the nation The US House of Representatives on Monday passed the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, aimed at deterring Chinese aggression toward Taiwan by threatening to publish information about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials’ “illicit” financial assets if Beijing were to attack. The act would also “restrict financial services for certain immediate family of such officials,” the text of the legislation says. The bill was introduced in January last year by US representatives French Hill and Brad Sherman. After remarks from several members, it passed unanimously. “If China chooses to attack the free people of Taiwan, [the bill] requires the Treasury secretary to publish the illicit
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
A senior US military official yesterday warned his Chinese counterpart against Beijing’s “dangerous” moves in the South China Sea during the first talks of their kind between the commanders. Washington and Beijing remain at odds on issues from trade to the status of Taiwan and China’s increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions, but they have sought to re-establish regular military-to-military talks in a bid to prevent flashpoint disputes from spinning out of control. Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and Wu Yanan (吳亞男), head of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, talked via videoconference. Paparo “underscored the importance
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
RSS